====== jiǎo / jué: 角 - Corner, Angle, Horn; Role ======
===== Quick Summary =====
  * **Keywords:** jiao, jue, 角, Chinese corner, Chinese angle, Chinese horn, Chinese money, Chinese role, jiaozi, character, role, actor, protagonist, measure word, unit of currency, 10 cents, yuan, mao, learning Chinese character.
  * **Summary:** The Chinese character **角** is a versatile and fundamental word with two distinct pronunciations and meanings. As **jiǎo**, it most commonly refers to a "corner," "angle," or "horn," and is also a formal unit of currency (like a dime, one-tenth of a Yuan). As **jué**, it shifts meaning completely to signify a "role" or "character" in a performance, like an actor's part. Understanding both `jiǎo` and `jué` is key to unlocking a wide range of vocabulary from everyday objects and money to film and theater.
===== Core Meaning =====
  * **Pinyin (with tone marks):** jiǎo (3rd tone) / jué (2nd tone)
  * **Part of Speech:** Noun, Measure Word
  * **HSK Level:** HSK 2 (for the `jiǎo` pronunciation)
  * **Concise Definition:** A "corner," "angle," or "horn" (as `jiǎo`); a "role" in a performance (as `jué`).
  * **In a Nutshell:** Think of **角** as a character based on a pointy shape. This simple image gives us the primary meaning, `jiǎo`: the sharp **corner** of a table, a geometric **angle**, or an animal's **horn**. This idea also extends to a "corner" of currency—a small unit of money. The second pronunciation, `jué`, is completely different and is used in words related to roles in plays, movies, or even life, like "protagonist" (`主角`).
===== Character Breakdown =====
  * **角:** This is a pictograph, one of the oldest types of Chinese characters. The character is a simplified drawing of an animal's horn. You can still see the pointy tip and the base. All the meanings related to `jiǎo` (corner, angle) are extensions of this original "pointy horn" image.
===== Cultural Context and Significance =====
  * **Dumplings (饺子 - jiǎozi):** One of China's most famous foods is directly linked to **角**. The name `饺子` is thought to have originated from `角子 (jiǎozi)`, meaning "horn-shaped things," because their shape resembles ancient Chinese currency (sycee) or a horn. Eating them during the Chinese New Year is a tradition symbolizing wealth and togetherness.
  * **Currency (`角` vs. `毛`):** In modern China, you'll see prices like 5.50元. The ".5" is formally read as `五角 (wǔ jiǎo)`. However, in everyday spoken Mandarin, people almost always say `五毛 (wǔ máo)`. Using `角 (jiǎo)` in conversation is grammatically correct but sounds a bit formal or old-fashioned, much like saying "one dime" instead of "ten cents" in the US.
  * **Roles (`角色 - juésè`):** While Western culture focuses on an individual's unique personality, traditional Chinese culture sometimes places more emphasis on fulfilling one's social **role** properly (e.g., as a son, a student, an employee). The term `角色 (juésè)` captures this idea of a part to be played, whether on stage or in society. In Chinese opera, character roles are highly defined archetypes, a concept that subtly influences the cultural understanding of `juésè`.
===== Practical Usage in Modern China =====
  * **As `jiǎo` - Corner / Angle:** This is used for any physical corner or geometric angle.
    * `桌子角 (zhuōzi jiǎo)` - corner of a table
    * `街角 (jiējiǎo)` - street corner
    * `三角形 (sānjiǎoxíng)` - triangle (literally "three-angle-shape")
    * `从我的角度看 (cóng wǒ de jiǎodù kàn)` - From my point of view/perspective (literally "from my angle")
  * **As `jiǎo` - Money:** This is the formal, written unit for 1/10th of a Yuan.
    * On price tags: `8.5元` (read as `bā yuán wǔ jiǎo`)
    * In banking or formal contexts, `角` is used.
  * **As `jué` - Role:** This pronunciation is almost always found within other words related to characters in performances or stories.
    * `主角 (zhǔjué)` - protagonist / main character
    * `配角 (pèijué)` - supporting character
    * `角色扮演 (juésè bànyǎn)` - role-playing (often used for RPG video games)
===== Example Sentences =====
  * **Example 1:** (Meaning: Corner)
    * 小心，别撞到桌子**角**！
    * Pinyin: Xiǎoxīn, bié zhuàng dào zhuōzi **jiǎo**!
    * English: Be careful, don't bump into the corner of the table!
    * Analysis: A very common, literal use of `角` to mean a physical corner.
  * **Example 2:** (Meaning: Role)
    * 他是这部新电影的男主**角**。
    * Pinyin: Tā shì zhè bù xīn diànyǐng de nán zhǔ**jué**.
    * English: He is the male protagonist of this new movie.
    * Analysis: Here, the character is pronounced `jué` because it's part of `主角`, meaning "main role."
  * **Example 3:** (Meaning: Money)
    * 这支笔是五**角**钱。
    * Pinyin: Zhè zhī bǐ shì wǔ **jiǎo** qián.
    * English: This pen is fifty cents (0.5 Yuan).
    * Analysis: A standard way to state a price using `角`. In conversation, you would more likely hear `wǔ máo qián`.
  * **Example 4:** (Meaning: Street Corner)
    * 我们在街**角**的那个咖啡馆见面吧。
    * Pinyin: Wǒmen zài jiē**jiǎo** de nàge kāfēi guǎn jiànmiàn ba.
    * English: Let's meet at that cafe on the street corner.
    * Analysis: `街角` is a fixed compound word for "street corner."
  * **Example 5:** (Meaning: Angle / Perspective)
    * 你需要从不同的**角**度看这个问题。
    * Pinyin: Nǐ xūyào cóng bùtóng de **jiǎo**dù kàn zhège wèntí.
    * English: You need to look at this problem from a different perspective (angle).
    * Analysis: This shows the abstract, metaphorical use of `角` in the word `角度 (jiǎodù)`.
  * **Example 6:** (Meaning: Supporting Role)
    * 她虽然只是个配**角**，但是演得非常出色。
    * Pinyin: Tā suīrán zhǐshì ge pèi**jué**, dànshì yǎn de fēicháng chūsè.
    * English: Although she was just a supporting character, her performance was outstanding.
    * Analysis: Note the `jué` pronunciation again in `配角 (pèijué)`, meaning "accompanying role."
  * **Example 7:** (Meaning: Animal Horn)
    * 公羊的**角**又大又弯。
    * Pinyin: Gōngyáng de **jiǎo** yòu dà yòu wān.
    * English: The ram's horns are big and curved.
    * Analysis: This usage connects directly back to the character's pictographic origin.
  * **Example 8:** (Meaning: Triangle)
    * 这是一个等边三**角**形。
    * Pinyin: Zhè shì yí ge děngbiān sān**jiǎo**xíng.
    * English: This is an equilateral triangle.
    * Analysis: `三角形` (three-angle-shape) is the standard word for "triangle."
  * **Example 9:** (Meaning: Role in a Team)
    * 你在这个项目里扮演什么**角**色？
    * Pinyin: Nǐ zài zhège xiàngmù lǐ bànyǎn shénme **jué**sè?
    * English: What role do you play in this project?
    * Analysis: The word `角色 (juésè)` is used here to refer to a role in a non-theatrical context.
  * **Example 10:** (Meaning: Secluded Corner)
    * 他喜欢一个人坐在图 书馆的**角**落里看书。
    * Pinyin: Tā xǐhuān yí ge rén zuò zài túshūguǎn de **jiǎo**luò lǐ kànshū.
    * English: He likes to sit alone in a corner of the library to read.
    * Analysis: `角落 (jiǎoluò)` is a common word that specifically means a nook or a secluded corner.
===== Nuances and Common Mistakes =====
  * **Pronunciation is Everything:** The most common mistake is mixing up the pronunciations. Remember this rule: If it refers to a physical shape (corner, horn, angle) or money, it's **jiǎo**. If it refers to a character in a story or a role, it's **jué**. You can't say `zhǔjiǎo` for "protagonist."
  * **`角 (jiǎo)` vs. `毛 (máo)`:** Don't use `角 (jiǎo)` when paying for a snack at a convenience store. While technically correct, you'll sound like you're reading from a textbook. Use `毛 (máo)`. For example, say `qī máo` (70 cents), not `qī jiǎo`.
  * **False Friend: "Character":** In English, "character" can mean a role in a play OR a person's moral qualities. **角 (jué)** only means the first one. To say "He has a good character," you would say `他人品很好 (tā rénpǐn hěn hǎo)` or `他性格很好 (tā xìnggé hěn hǎo)`, not `他有一个好主角 (tā yǒu yí ge hǎo zhǔjué)`.
===== Related Terms and Concepts =====
  * [[角色]] (juésè) - The most common word for "role" or "character," using the `jué` pronunciation.
  * [[主角]] (zhǔjué) - Protagonist, or "main role."
  * [[角落]] (jiǎoluò) - A nook, a corner (emphasizes a more secluded or out-of-the-way space than just `角`).
  * [[毛]] (máo) - The colloquial, everyday term for `角` as a unit of currency (0.1 Yuan).
  * [[元]] (yuán) - The main unit of Chinese currency (RMB). `1 元 = 10 角`.
  * [[饺子]] (jiǎozi) - Dumplings; a culturally significant food whose name is derived from `角`.
  * [[角度]] (jiǎodù) - Angle, degree; also used metaphorically to mean "perspective" or "point of view."
  * [[三角形]] (sānjiǎoxíng) - The word for "triangle."
  * [[演员]] (yǎnyuán) - Actor/actress; the person who plays a `角色`.
  * [[街角]] (jiējiǎo) - Street corner.